Goaless Argyle beaten by The Iron men

Scunthorpe United 1
Esajas 62

Argyle 0

Sky Bet League Two, Saturday 21 September 2013

Argyle suffered a second successive goaless defeat at Scunthorpe's Glanford Park stadium, a second half Etienne Esajas goal proving to be enough to give the home side all three points.

It might have been different. Two Reuben Reid efforts were ruled out and Argyle created chances and had a penalty claim turned down as their quest to find the back of the net was ultimtely fruitless.

Manager John Sheridan named an unchanged side and for periods of the match they looked the better team. Indeed they had controlled the second half up to the goal, but were unable to capitalise on some good openings in the box.

Reid twice had the ball in the net only for one to be ruled offside and the other disallowed for a push on a defender. Later, Plymouth's claim for a handball was dismissed by referee Graham Scott. 

You need to score goals to win football matches and we haven’t scored,” Sheridan told the Argyle website, “but we’ve had chances and to come away with nothing is soul destroying.

“I think we really deserved something out of the game. We should have won the game, in my eyes anyway," he said.

Victory in next Saturday's home game against League Two's bottom club Accrington Stanley - who have just one point from eight games - will be vital for restoring some momentum and confidence, particularly with the big derby game at Exeter to follow the week after.

For a full match report visit http://www.pafc.co.uk

Scunthorpe United (4-4-2): 1 Sam Slocombe; 18 Eddie Nolan, 6 Niall Canavan (26 Cliff Byrne 53), 5 David Mirfin, 3 Andy Dawson (capt); 14 Terry Hawkridge, 4 Sean McAllister, 7 Matt Sparrow, 10 Etienne Essajas (28 Jimmy Spencer 75); 9 Chris Iwelumo (8 Deon Burton 66), 29 Sam Winnall. Substitutes (not used): 13 James Severn (gk), 15 Luke Waterfall, 20 Callum Howe, 22 Luke Hornsey.

Booked: Hawkridge 39, Byrne 60

Plymouth Argyle (4-3-3): 23 Luke McCormick; 2 Durrell Berry, 16 Neal Trotman, 5 Guy Branston, 28 Jamie Reckord; 7 Lewis Alessandra, 6 Conor Hourihane (capt), 20 Hamza Bencherif (17 Curtis Nelson 85); 9 Reuben Reid, 8 Romuald Boco, 10 Marvin Morgan (18 Tyler Harvey 83). Substitutes (not used): 1 Jake Cole, 3 Andre Blackman, 4 Maxime Blanchard, 15 Paul Wotton, 27 Andres Gurrieri.

Booked: Berry 25, Reid 43

Referee: Graham Scott

Attendance: 3,298 (292 away).